Irish Brown Bread Honey (Printer View)

A wholesome Irish brown bread with oats and buttermilk, complemented by smooth honey butter.

# What you'll need:

→ Brown Bread

01 - 2 cups whole wheat flour
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1 teaspoon salt
05 - 2 tablespoons rolled oats, plus extra for topping
06 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
07 - 2 cups buttermilk

→ Honey Butter

08 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
09 - 2 tablespoons honey
10 - Pinch of salt

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease a loaf pan.
02 - In a large bowl, combine whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, rolled oats, and brown sugar. Mix thoroughly.
03 - Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until a soft, shaggy dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
04 - Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a round loaf approximately 2 inches thick. Place on the prepared baking sheet or in the loaf pan.
05 - Use a sharp knife to cut a deep cross on top of the loaf. Sprinkle with extra oats if desired.
06 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.
07 - In a small bowl, beat the softened butter, honey, and a pinch of salt until smooth and creamy.
08 - Slice the cooled bread and serve with generous dollops of honey butter.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour with ingredients you likely already have lingering in your pantry.
  • That honey butter situation is legitimately worth the entire endeavor, trust me.
  • The bread tastes even better the next day, sliced thick and warmed by the toaster.
02 -
  • Overmixing is the one real mistake you can make here, mix just until the dough comes together and nothing more.
  • Buttermilk temperature matters more than you'd think, cold buttermilk creates a dense final loaf so let it sit out for twenty minutes if yours came from the refrigerator.
03 -
  • Room temperature buttermilk combines more smoothly and creates a lighter texture than cold buttermilk straight from the fridge.
  • The hollow tap test on the bottom of the loaf is genuinely reliable, if it doesn't sound hollow, give it another five minutes even if the top looks done.
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